Second to thee, offered himself to die For Man's offence. O unexampled love, Thus they in Heaven, above the starry sphere, Of this round World, whose first convex divides 410 415 420 425 From Chaos and the inroad of darkness old, Whose snowy ridge the roving Tartar bounds, Dislodging from a region scarce of prey To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids On hills where flocks are fed, flies toward the springs 413. matter, subject. 415. disjoin, disjoin thy praise. 418. See II. 1034-1055, and III. 70-76. 419. World. See line 74, and note.first convex, outermost sphere, enclosing the inferior orbs. The Earth, according to 436 the ancient astronomy, was in the centre of this sphere. divides, sets apart; separates from Chaos. 431. Imaus, a range of mountains on the north of India. 436. Hydaspes, a branch of the Indus. Of Sericana, where Chineses drive With sails of wind their cany wagons light: Of all things transitory and vain, when sin All who have their reward on earth, the fruits Nought seeking but the praise of men, here find All the unaccomplished works of Nature's hand. Not in the neighboring moon, as some have drea The builders next of Babel on the plain Of Sennaar, and still with vain design New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build : Or in Franciscan think to pass disguised: 466 470 475 480 466. Babel. See Genesis xi. Carmelites or White-friars wear1-9. 467. Sennaar, Shinar, the plain of Babylon. 468. had they wherewithal, if they had the materials. 471. Empedocles was a celebrated philosopher of Sicily, who lived in the fifth century before Christ. Tradition related that he leaped fondly (foolishly) into Etna's flames, that he might, in consequence of his sudden disappearance, be deemed a god. One of his sandals, however, was thrown out by the volcano, and the manner of his death thus made known. - he. Cleombrotus, a Grecian youth, is said to have destroyed himself by leaping into the sea, after reading Plato's description of the happiness of a future state, that he might at once enjoy it. 473. too long, of whom it would be too long to tell. 474. eremites, hermits. 475. The different orders of friars in the Roman church are distinguished by their dress, the ing a white robe, the Dominicans or Black-friars a black robe, and the Franciscans or Gray-friars a gray or lightbrown robe. 476. pilgrims, to Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre. 477. Golgotha. See Matthew xxvii. 33. 478. to be sure of Paradise. It was once a superstition of some members of the church of Rome, that to be clothed at the time of death in a friar's habit or weeds, insured an entrance into heaven. 481-483. This is according to the notions of the ancient, or Ptolemaic, system of astronomy. From the Earth, the centre of the Universe, they pass the planets seven, our planetary or solar system, and beyond this pass the fixed, the firmament or sphere of the fixed stars, and still beyond, that crystalline sphere, the heaven clear as crystal, to which the Ptolemaics attributed a sort of libration or shaking (the trepi And that crystalline sphere whose balance weig Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tos The sport of winds: all these, up-whirled aloft, All this dark globe the Fiend found as he passed Up to the wall of Heaven, a structure high, dation so much talked of) to account for certain irregularities in the motions of the heavenly bodies, and farthest that first moved, the Primum Mobile, the sphere which was both the first moved and the first mover, communicating its motion to all the lower or interior spheres. The Crystalline is described either as external to the Primum Mobile, or as combined with it. 484, 485. Milton alludes here to the notion that Saint Peter literally holds the keys of Heaven and keeps the gate. 489. devious, out of thei or road. 492. In the Roman chur dulgences are remissions penalties of sin, granted Pope. dispenses, or dis tions, are permissions to di with certain rules of the c He also grants pardons f committed. Certain letters contain his decrees or de are called bulls. 495. Limbo, a bordering or place of confinement. 500. thitherward, to itsel 502. degrees, stairs. See li With frontispiece of diamond and gold Who after came from Earth sailing arrived 510 515 520 Rapt in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds. The stairs were then let down, whether to dare The Fiend by easy ascent, or aggravate His sad exclusion from the doors of bliss; Direct against which opened from beneath, A passage down to the Earth, a passage wide, Over mount Sion, and, though that were large, 525 530 By which, to visit oft those happy tribes, Passed frequent, and his eye with choice regard 506. frontispiece, the face of a building. 509. By model, or by shading pencil drawn, by sculpture or by painting. 510-515. See Gen. xxviii. 518. Viewless, was viewless; beyond the sight. 520. Who, whoever. 535 522. fiery steeds. See 2 Kings ii. 11. 530. and, and wider than that. 534. with choice regard, passed with choice regard, with special favor. 535. Paneas, Dan. This was a town in the northernmost part of Palestine or the Holy Land, near |